Najib: Case against blogger not politically motivated - NST

By : Sheridan Mahavera

MERSING: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the case against blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin was not politically motivated.

Dismissing talk to the contrary especially on the Internet, he said the case against the 58-year-old webmaster, who was charged under the Sedition Act 1948, should not be construed as a move to clamp down on bloggers or freedom of speech.

"The government has always taken a very liberal stand with bloggers and the Internet and we will continue to do so. But there are laws in this country related to sedition and defamation.

"Just because you operate from cyberspace, it does not absolve you from having those laws applied to you.

"Whatever the case, the Attorney-General will decide if there is a case," Najib said at Camp Iskandar here, when asked about Raja Petra being charged under the Sedition Act 1948 on Tuesday.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2234681%20/Article/index_html]